


Bella's Convention

by StaubreyBechloeGoals4Life



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, bechloe - Freeform, staubrey - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-01-31 18:57:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18597412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StaubreyBechloeGoals4Life/pseuds/StaubreyBechloeGoals4Life
Summary: The Bellas have moved on from Barden and trying to figure out what to do with their lives now that their Bella days are behind them, but what happens when Gail and John call them back for a convention? Old feelings and tension returns with them. My take on what would happen if Staubrey and Bechloe were canon for PP3.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I originally had this idea years ago after I attended a fan convention for another fandom, but I wasn’t writing PP fanfiction back then. This is how I imagined Pitch Perfect 3 going if some of our favorite ships were canon.

Stacie let out a shiver and moaned as Aubrey peppered kisses up her back before nuzzling her neck. Her eyes fluttered open and she giggled when Aubrey rolled her over in bed. Their eyes locked and the blonde stroked her hair as she settled in between her legs.

“Someone is horny this morning,” teased Stacie as Aubrey placed lingering kisses on her breasts.

“Yep and it is all your fault.”

“Oh really,” giggled Stacie.

“The sex is too phenomenal and now I want it as much as possible,” mumbled Aubrey against her skin. She laughed when Stacie rolled them over so she could straddle her waist.

“I will gladly take the blame for that,” she whispered before tenderly kissing her girlfriend. Aubrey moaned and melted into the kiss, but they both let out a groan when they heard one of their phones buzz on the nightstand. Stacie gave a pout as Aubrey reached for the phones.

“Damn, it’s mine. Hold that thought,” said Aubrey before answering it.

“Miss Posen, it is Gail Abernathy-McKadden-Feinberg. I am glad you picked up. You Bellas are very hard to track down!” Stacie rolled her eyes and began to pout even more as Aubrey sat up in bed and put the woman on speaker phone.

“Gail this is a surprise. How may I help you?”

“First, let me congratulate you and the Bellas again for winning Worlds. The performance in Copenhagen was truly inspiring. Even John got a little misty-eyed for you girls.”

“Um…thanks, but I wasn’t really…”

“We are putting together a convention to celebrate the Bellas and all their success and would love for you to attend. It will be in Los Angeles next month and is a 3-day event.”

“A convention for the Bellas, why would I be invited? Beca and Chloe were the captains and technically Emily is currently the captain now,” said Aubrey and Gail sighed.

“The convention is for all the Bellas that changed collegiate acapella as we know it, which started with your group becoming the first all-female group to win ICCAs. Besides, while Emily is a valuable member of the team, we need the leaders to ensure the Bellas will be in attendance and willing to perform Saturday night. It is going to be quite the weekend and is all the talk in acapella circles at the moment. There will be panels, meet and greets, photo ops, autograph sessions, and parties. It is going to be spectacular!” Aubrey gulped as she felt her nerves getting the best of her.

“Wait, what are you talking about? That has never been part of the tradition, even our tours were one day events,” said Aubrey and Stacie rolled her eyes as she spoke up.

“What are you and John up to now, Gail?”

“Stacie Conrad, is that you? I would recognize that sultry voice anywhere. I can contact Aubrey to get in touch with you…hmmm…I will make a note of that.”

“Answer the question. Bree is right. We have never had a convention or whatever the hell this is before.”

“Well the original plan was to have the Bellas make an appearance at USC to answer questions and meet acapella groups looking to make their mark on history. Monica Pierce of The USC Harmonicas had the idea and we saw it as an opportunity. While the Bellas proved themselves to be the true champions of acapella, it did not stop sponsors from leaving and funding to dry up so we figured this would be a way to raise some money for next year. We didn’t expect for it to get so out of hand. Apparently you girls are a hot commodity at the moment. With acapella becoming more mainstream, you are the faces of the collegiate aca-movement and as such are needed at this event. Tickets sold out in a day, so we added more and then those sold out….so we added more…and they sold out! It has taken on a life of its own so we had to move it to a larger venue. It will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Los Angeles, but don’t worry. Airfare, lodging, and the proper accommodations will be taken care of if you agree to attend.”

“I don’t know. It is next month? That is kind of short notice,” said Aubrey and Gail huffed.

“We’ve tried to get in touch with Beca and Chloe about it for a month. I have grown accustomed to Beca’s surliness, but was surprised Chloe turned down the offer.” Aubrey and Stacie glanced at one another.

“Beca and Chloe aren't exactly in the mood for an event and the Bellas have all moved on from Barden. Besides Emily of course,” informed Aubrey.

“Well we need them to unmove on. There are too many attendees now to just cancel and doing so would put us in debt. Even if we can refund all the money, we already paid the deposits for the venue and catering. I am not one to beg, but please. Aubrey, you were the captain once. You are the reason this group of Bellas even exists. Please, help us save ICCA. All we are asking for is one weekend and you get a free trip to L.A. out of it.”

“I make no promises but I will do my best,” assured Aubrey.

“Splendid! I will send you the details and don’t worry. This is going to be aca-amazing!” Aubrey groaned when Gail hung up.

“Well great, how are we going to get Beca and Chloe in the same room again and make this happen,” asked Aubrey and Stacie smirked.

“We aren't doing anything. This is on you, Posen. I didn’t agree to crap.” Stacie laughed when Aubrey began tickling her and pulled her into her arms.

“Oh no you don’t, we are a package deal now. If I am going down, you are going down with me.”

“As much as I love going down with you, how exactly are we going to do that? Gail is right. It is one thing for Beca to turn this down, but Chloe? How are we going to get her on board?”

“You worry about your bestie and I will worry about mine. This might actually be fun and a chance for the Bellas to unite one more time before going off into the real world. Trust me, it sucks out there.”

“Fine, but only because you are hot and give me multiple orgasms,” conceded Stacie and she giggled when Aubrey settled in between her legs again.

“I think that’s a pretty good reason,” assured Aubrey before passionately kissing her.

 

Later that day, Beca twirled a pin in her hand as she stared blankly at her computer screen. She was at Residual Heat to help Sammy finish producing a track for Ed Sheeran, but her mind kept wandering back to the big decision she needed to make. While there was no concrete deadline, it still loomed and she wasn’t sure why she was so hesitant. It was what she always wanted and more, but something was holding her back. A knock on the door made her sit up straighter and Sammy smirked as he entered to sit down on the couch opposite of her.

“I come in here to clear my head too. I am guessing you haven’t finished layering the track.” Beca sighed and shook her head.

“Sorry, I will have it to you by the end of the day.”

“You know Reggie, most of the interns in here would kill to be in your position. They aren't as talented as you, but at least they would be more excited about the opportunity.”

“I am excited. I just…it is a big decision and I don’t want to screw it up.”

“Okay, then tell me what’s on your mind. I offered you a position at the L.A. Office, the same office you practically begged to be considered for, and now you aren't sure. Why?”

“I don’t know the people in L.A. I know you. I work well with you. What if I get there and they hate my work?”

“Fine, then I will sweeten the pot for you. What if I go too?”

“Wait, you would do that for me?” He smirked.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Reggie. There are some changes in leadership happening with the label in L.A. and I have been offered a new role. I will still own this place and get a bigger piece of the L.A. pie in the process. We both know there is more access to talent out there so Alex is going to head the operations here. I told her to keep an eye on Dax since we all know he could burn this place to the ground in a day.”

“Sammy, that’s amazing. I would have to be crazy to not go.”

“Damn right Reggie, so you are going then?” Her silence made him groan.

“I don’t know who is more annoying at this point, you or Dax,” he grumbled.

“I am going. I just…I wish I didn’t have to leave things here so unsettled,” she confessed and he slowly nodded.

“Oh, this is about Red. Actually, that makes sense. It always ends up being about a woman.” Beca rolled her eyes.

“I feel like I should be offended by that comment.” He shrugged.

“Eh, maybe, so what’s the deal with you two anyways? I thought you had a boyfriend.”

“Ex-boyfriend, we called it off when we got back from Copenhagen.”

“Because of Red?”

“Chloe was part of it, but we had other issues. He wanted to move to New York City and got a job on a crew there. NYC was never in the cards for me. It has always been L.A. or bust.”

“Sounds like it wasn’t meant to be, so where does Red factor in?”

“Sammy, did you ever think someone was like…the one…but weren't sure if being with the one was in the cards either?” Sammy slowly nodded and smiled as he remembered his youth.

“Yea, her name was Beverly and we were high school sweethearts.”

“What happened?”

“She wanted stability and I wanted adventure. That’s the thing about high school, everyone is confined to the same bubble, but once you are out of it, you start to realize you can go and do anything you want. We wanted different things, but you need to figure out if that is the case with you and Red. Talk to her. Tell her about L.A. Hell, ask her to come with you and then if she says no, at least you know where she stands,” he suggested. They both looked up when they heard a knock on the door and Beca smiled when she saw Stacie.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

“We need to talk. Hey Sammy,” said Stacie and Sammy gave her a nod as he stood up.

“What’s up, Legs? Reggie, I need that track finished by 5.”

“Got it,” said Beca with a salute as he left and Stacie sat down on the couch.

“What’s up? Everything okay,” asked Beca and Stacie sighed.

“Don’t shoot the messenger, but we have to go to L.A. for that Bella event Gail called you about and you just so happened to not mention.” Beca frowned in confusion.

“No we don’t and how did you even know about that?”

“She called Aubrey this morning.”

“And did Aubrey relay the message or were you there to hear for yourself,” asked Beca with a teasing grin and Stacie playfully glared at her.

“Don’t try to change the subject. Why didn’t you tell us about it?”

“I don’t know. We’d just gotten back from Copenhagen and it seemed like everyone had closure, you know? We said our tearful goodbyes and made our peace. Calling everyone back together for a performance just to entertain John and Gail didn’t seem realistic.”

“Oh come on Bec, we both know that is bullshit. First off, you haven’t made your peace with Chloe and you shouldn’t. You two have something and now that Jesse is out of the picture, you can finally be together. Second, you know the Bellas would love a reason to hang out again and this time it would be in L.A. Besides, this isn’t just to entertain those two weirdos. ICCA is kind of in trouble because of Muffgate so if we can fix that, wouldn’t that be part of making our peace as well?”

“Things with Chloe are just too much of a mess right now. I don’t think it is the right time to ask her for one last performance. My answer is no. I am sorry Gail got you involved in all this,” said Beca before turning back to her computer. Stacie sighed and cursed under her breath knowing what she had to do.

“Well then I guess it is a good thing it isn’t up to you,” she said and Beca frowned at her.

“Excuse me?”

“You are a co-captain and even if you were the only one leading the group, this isn’t a dictatorship. We stopped all that nonsense after Aubrey left….don’t tell her I said that…” Beca tried to interject with a snarky comment, but Stacie continued.

“You don’t get to dictate to the rest of us when and where we perform.”

“Actually, I do. All I have to do is tell Chloe I am not interested in going and I am sure she will side with me. The answer is no.”

“Wrong again, dear bestie of mine, because technically, you aren't even captains anymore. That would be Emily, so even if captains were dictators that told us when and where we could perform, we would have to ask Emily, not you. We are doing this Beca and so are you,” declared Stacie as she stood up and Beca scoffed as she crossed her arms.

“You aren't the boss of me,” grumbled Beca and Stacie arched an eyebrow at her with a challenging smile.

“Nope, I am better. I am your best friend. You’re going,” said Stacie with such finality that Beca didn’t dare to challenge her. Instead, she cursed under her breath and pouted in her chair as Stacie left her to wallow.


	2. Chapter 2

Stacie tossed the last of her and Aubrey’s luggage into the trunk of the taxi before sliding into the minivan with her girlfriend. She smiled adoringly at Aubrey when the blonde checked her watch again.

“Babe, we aren't going to be late to the airport. If anything, we are early.”

“No such thing when it comes to flying. There could still be traffic, we don’t know how long it will take to get through the security checkpoint, and God knows Beca is going to drag her feet. Chloe already texted me to say she is ready so there’s that.”

“How did you manage to get her to agree to this? All you said was it’s a go,” questioned Stacie as she rested her head on Aubrey’s shoulder, still exhausted and not ready for the early morning departure time. Aubrey stroked her hair with a smile.

“I spoke with Emily, Amy, and Cynthia Rose first about it. They were the only ones I could get in touch with at the time and I had them all bombard her with messages about wanting to go. I think Emily did the trick. You know Chloe can't resist her pout.”

“Yea, Legacy doesn’t know her power. She is too adorable for her own good sometimes. Are you worried about Chlo and Bec?”

“A little, but they will figure it out. We did,” reminded Aubrey and Stacie kissed her cheek. Stacie laced their fingers together before closing her eyes and didn’t open them again until the door of the van opened and she heard Chloe’s voice.

“You two are so cute,” giggled Chloe and Aubrey blushed as Stacie winked at her.

“We try,” assured Stacie as she gave Chloe a hug. Chloe placed her luggage in the trunk before sitting on the other side of Aubrey.

“Whose idea was it to leave this early? Beca is not going to be happy. You know she isn’t a morning person,” warned Chloe and Aubrey smirked.

“Beca is in a constant state of grumpiness. We could’ve left in the afternoon and she would complain. Gail and John booked the tickets,” informed Aubrey.

“Have you checked the weekend schedule and the amount of people attending,” asked Chloe and Aubrey frowned as she thought about it.

“Actually, no, they said we would get an itinerary when we land. Where did you find a schedule,” asked Aubrey.

“Emily texted me a link to the website. This is totes a big deal. There are going to be like 5,000 people there. I know we agreed to just create a setlist based on our old performances but maybe we should at least offer one new arrangement,” suggested Chloe and Aubrey sighed.

“I am not sure we will have the time or space to rehearse in. We will see what Beca thinks,” said Aubrey.

“Then that will be a no,” grumbled Chloe and Aubrey gave her a sympathetic smile.

“Have you talked to her?”

“Briefly, but it was awkward. We agreed on the songs for the performance, pretty much our favorites, but that was about it. It was all business.”

“Did she mention anything about moving to L.A.,” asked Aubrey and Chloe’s eyes widened as she nodded over to Stacie. Aubrey rolled her eyes and kissed the top of Stacie’s head.

“She is a heavy sleeper. Trust me,” assured Aubrey and Chloe smiled when she saw that Stacie already fell asleep.

“No, she didn’t say anything. Why does she have to be so closed off all the time? That is one thing I am jealous of Stacie about. She somehow managed to get you to open up to her and I have never been able to do that with Beca for long.”

“That’s not true. Things were different for me and Stace. Beca had to worry about Jesse and her feelings about everything. I couldn’t hide behind someone else. I had to deal with my feelings. Stace definitely knows how to make me feel safe enough to open up to her but you have that with Beca too. I have seen it. She is just being stubborn and is probably obsessing about the future. I know I would be. Beca may have always planned to move to L.A. but planning it and doing it are two different things. That is a big cross country move with a lot on the line. I hate to say it and you know I am all for moving on from her, but she has a lot going on and may need a bit more patience…even though I think you have been a saint in that regard.”

“I just feel like we are losing our moment. Maybe we lost it a while ago but if we can't figure things out living in the same city, in the same house for years, how will we be able to if we live in different states?” Aubrey wrapped her other arm around Chloe as her best friend rested her head on her shoulder. They stayed like that as the taxi pulled in front of Beca and Stacie’s apartment. The petite brunette opened the door and smiled smugly when she saw their positions.

“Damn Posen, you start dating the Hunter and suddenly you are a boss ass bitch with two ladies on your arm,” teased Beca and Aubrey winked at her.

“I do what I can,” teased Aubrey. Chloe playfully slapped Aubrey’s arm and shook her head in amusement.

“Morning Becs, you seem in a better mood than I thought you would be in,” said Chloe and Beca shrugged as she put her luggage in the back and climbed in.

“I figured I should make the most of it and Stacie is right. It isn’t a bad gig. I get to see my friends, spend some time out in L.A., and have a free summer vacation. Life could be worse.”

“Totes worse,” giggled Chloe and Beca smiled at her. Stacie groaned and nuzzled Aubrey’s neck.

“Too much talking, not enough sleeping,” mumbled Stacie and Aubrey giggled as she pulled her closer in her arms. Beca winked at Chloe.

“How about you come sit with me back here and give the love birds some privacy,” she suggested. Chloe beamed with happiness at the invitation and crawled into the back with Beca.

“Hey,” whispered Beca and Chloe bit her lip as she smiled.

“Hey,” Chloe whispered back.

“Look Chlo, I know we had some tension a few weeks ago but…”

“I shouldn’t have pushed so hard. You were still dealing with the breakup and I…”

“You were right. I am really glad you are here.”

“Me too,” said Chloe as they hugged. The two spent the rest of the trip to the airport whispering back and forth while Aubrey fell asleep with Stacie.

 

By the time they checked in their luggage, went through the security checkpoint, and made it to their gate, Beca was hungry and Stacie was wide awake. Stacie wrapped an arm around her best friend and gave her a wink.

“Come on, let’s get some breakfast before we have to board. Bree, do you want a blueberry bagel,” asked Stacie and Aubrey smiled lovingly at her.

“Thanks babe that sounds great.” Beca pretended to gag at the sweet smile Stacie gave Aubrey before heading toward the café.

“Oh shut up, I am happy,” said Stacie and Beca laughed.

“I can tell. Damn, the Hunter has been tamed.” Stacie shrugged.

“He doesn’t mind when Aubrey is doing the taming.”

“Is that why you practically live with her now? I haven’t seen you in the apartment lately.”

“I stop by to get more clothes. You just tend to be in the studio when I do.” Beca nodded as they got in line.

“I meant to talk to you about that, the apartment I mean. The lease is up next month and since I am moving, I won’t be renewing. Do you want to keep it or are you moving in with Bree…or did you take me up on my offer?”

“Smooth transition there, Mitchell.”

“Hey, I am trying here. We haven’t had a lot of time to talk about it but the offer still stands. I could really use a friend out in L.A. and I know how enticing UCLA is for grad school.”

“It is, which is why I accepted their scholarship and am attending in the fall,” confessed Stacie and she laughed when Beca jumped into her arms.

“Seriously? You are going? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I needed to talk to Bree about it first.”

“How did she take it?”

“Pretty good since she is coming with me,” said Stacie with a smile and she laughed at Beca’s stunned expression.

“Wait, what,” laughed Beca and Stacie sighed happily.

“We are in love, Bec. She is it for me and I don’t want to be without her, so I told her about UCLA. I said I wanted to go but I wouldn’t go without her. If she wanted to stay in Georgia, I would attend Georgia Tech and that would be that. She already quit at the resort and is looking for a job at a firm in L.A. I told her not to worry though. I have no problem being her sugar mama.”

“So that’s it? Just like that, you are both moving?”

“Yep and we already found a place together. We have a couple of spare rooms in case the living situation Sammy set up for you doesn’t work out.”

“You found a place in L.A. that quick? It must be nice to be a Conrad.”

“Oh so nice,” giggled Stacie, but then her smile faded.

“You can't say anything yet though. Aubrey is trying to find a way to tell Chloe. It is going to be really hard on them both and I can't imagine how that conversation will go. You know how much Chloe loves her. Aubrey said the only thing that made her hesitate when I asked her was Chloe and I get that.”

“Damn, poor Chlo, I wish there was something I could say to her.”

“Um, how about, Chloe, I love you. Will you come to L.A. with me?” Beca sighed.

“You know it isn’t that simple.”

“Yea, it is, Bec. You are the only one making this hard. You have to know that Chloe is in love with you.”

“I can't ask her to drop her life for me like that.”

“She works at a dance studio. There are plenty of those in L.A. This is about you being scared of putting yourself out there and I get it. I was terrified to ask Bree to come with me but when she said yes…Bec, there is no feeling in the world like that. Knowing the person you love loves you just as much is the best feeling ever. If you don’t ask Chloe, you will regret it. You two have missed out on so much time together because you are scared of loving her. Don’t let that fear keep you apart forever,” warned Stacie before stepping up to the counter and ordering breakfast for her and Aubrey. Beca took in a shaky breath as the nagging in the pit of her stomach returned. She knew Stacie was right. She just didn’t know how to say it.

 

Chloe watched as Aubrey’s eyes lit up when she saw Stacie. The jealousy in the pit of her stomach she often had to suppress around the couple returned as Stacie handed her girlfriend a bagel and cup of tea. Aubrey whispered in her ear and Stacie giggled as she scooted closer to her. Chloe had never seen her best friend like that, so in love and carefree. Aubrey had always been reserved and wasn’t one to display her emotions or affection, so watching her with Stacie always fascinated the ginger. Beca cleared her throat and sat down beside her before holding out a croissant and bottle of orange juice.

“I figured you would be hungry too,” said Beca and Chloe grinned from ear to ear. She quickly kissed Beca’s cheek, causing the brunette to blush in response.

“Thanks, you are so sweet. I am really glad you decided to come with us,” she said before taking a bite of the croissant.

“Can I let you in on a little secret?”

“Always,” assured Chloe.

“I didn’t want to miss out on another chance to hang with the amazing Chloe Beale. I am sorry for being so distant lately. After Jesse and I broke up, things just got weird in my head.”

“I get it. You and Jesse were together for a long time.”

“It wasn’t just that though. I mean yea, he was my first serious relationship, but breaking up made me realize I wasn’t in it for the right reasons in the first place. I should’ve been really sad and felt devastated when it was over, but I didn’t. I felt…” Beca paused as she tried to find the words and Chloe placed a hand on hers. Beca looked down at their hands and sighed.

“I felt relieved,” she confessed as their eyes locked and Chloe couldn’t help but to smile. Before she could respond, boarding for their flight was announced, causing them both to sigh. Stacie kicked Beca’s leg to get her attention and handed her two tickets.

“Here, I upgraded us to First Class. You and Chloe are sitting in the row behind us,” she informed and Beca frowned in confusion.

“I thought I was sitting with you,” said Beca.

“In Coach you were sitting with me. In First Class, I sit with my girl and you sit with yours. Conrad’s don’t do Coach,” said Stacie as she stood up and gathered her things. Aubrey had to hide her smile as Beca and Chloe sat in silence for a moment at the comment. Beca looked down at the tickets in her hand and then shrugged at Chloe.

“Apparently Conrad’s don’t do Coach,” she repeated and Chloe giggled as she stood up as well.

 

The trip to LAX went by smoothly and Beca made a mental note to thank her best friend for switching the seats. She and Chloe spent the trip talking and listening to music before falling asleep together. Stacie wore a smug smile as they exited the plane and Beca rolled her eyes, sensing the teasing that was about to ensue.

“You two looked comfy,” whispered Stacie and Beca did her best to hide her blush.

“First Class is comfy,” she assured.

“Especially with a hot redhead,” added Stacie.

“Would you like me to tell your girlfriend you think her best friend is hot?”

“Oh she already knows I do. She also knows I only have eyes for her. You may have a hot redhead, but Bree is hot and blondes have more fun. I’d like to think we are both pretty lucky,” said Stacie.

“What are you two talking about,” asked Aubrey and Stacie winked at her.

“Nothing, just how hot you and Chloe are,” she informed and Beca nudged her as Chloe giggled.

“Funny because we were just talking about these two hot brunettes we know,” teased Chloe.

“Eh, one of them is hot, the other is a bit too short,” said Aubrey and she laughed when Beca flipped her off.

“Watch it there Posen,” warned Beca with a laugh.

“Such a big threat from such a tiny body,” teased Aubrey. They made it to baggage claim and grabbed their things before looking around. Aubrey was the first to spot the sign for them and headed in the direction of the young woman holding it.

“Hi, I am…”

“Aubrey Posen, captain of the first all-female group to win ICCAs. You are a legend and such a queen,” said the young woman and Aubrey blushed at the compliment.

“Wow that is some welcome. Thank you and you are,” asked Aubrey as Stacie, Chloe, and Beca made their way over.

“I am Monica Pierce, captain of the USC Harmonicas. I am a huge fan. Thank you so much for coming. The rest of the Bellas have already arrived and are getting settled in at the hotel. I wanted to personally pick you up though. It is truly an honor,” said Monica as she gazed at Aubrey in a way that made Stacie take a step closer to her girlfriend.

“You are the one who originally requested this event,” asked Stacie and Monica happily nodded.

“It started off with just me and the Harmonicas and then the Trouble Tones and Toners wanted to attend. Then Speed of Sound invited themselves and a whole bunch of others. They can never keep things on the low. Before you know it, it was on every acapella forum. We originally intended it to just be for collegiate acapella groups, but demand grew and many of your fans were upset because they were excluded.”

“Fans, we have fans,” asked Beca and Monica scoffed.

“Tons of fans and before you know it, there were too many people to fit in the auditorium at USC. Luckily, one of my aunts works for a company that puts on conventions. You know like, Trekkies and stuff like that, and she helped us reorganize everything. This is going to be the biggest acapella convention ever and it is all because of you,” she said as her eyes landed back on Aubrey. Chloe and Beca had to stifle their laughs as Aubrey stood there speechless and Stacie glared at Monica.

“Okay, um, how about you take us to the hotel so we can get this aca-awesome weekend started,” suggested Chloe and Monica clapped happily.

“Right this way,” she said before grabbing Aubrey’s luggage. Stacie arched an eyebrow and smirked as she picked up her luggage. Aubrey grabbed it from her and kissed her cheek.

“Come on, it will be fun. She is just excited,” assured Aubrey and Stacie gave a curt nod, suddenly not so amused by their host.

 

By the time they arrived at the hotel and were guided to one of the smaller conference rooms, the rest of the Bellas were already catching up with one another. Beca laughed as the group of Bellas ran over to engulf them in a tight embrace. While she would never admit it, she missed their group hugs dearly.

“This place is amazing. I can't believe we get to stay here. It is 20 stories high or something insane like that,” said Emily.

“And the rooms are massive,” said Jessica.

“Our apartment in New York isn’t even that big,” added Ashley.

“In my country, ten families would live in our suite, no problem,” assured Flo.

“This place is definitely nice,” agreed Beca.

“Fit for queens, which means it is fit for us,” said Amy as she hugged Beca again. Cynthia Rose arched an eyebrow at Stacie and Aubrey.

“Well I’ll be damned Hunter, you got it like that,” said Cynthia Rose and Stacie smiled smugly at her.

“Whatever do you mean, CR,” teased Stacie and Cynthia Rose pointed back and forth between Stacie and Aubrey.

“You two aren't slick. You’ve had your arm around her this whole time and Posen seems quite comfortable with it. Since when has this been a thing,” asked Cynthia Rose and Aubrey blushed. She smiled at Stacie and laced their fingers together.

“Since Copenhagen,” admitted Aubrey. Beca and Chloe laughed as the couple was suddenly engulfed in another Bella embrace before being bombarded with questions. Stacie answered most of them, happily taking it in stride, while Aubrey smiled adoringly at her girlfriend. Beca was surprised by the sudden twinge of jealousy she felt watching her best friend happily tell the Bellas about how she and Aubrey admitted their feelings after the Bellas won Worlds and had been inseparable ever since.

When Beca first found out about the couple, she was surprised. Stacie always made it clear that she was attracted to Aubrey, but the captain never made a move. She didn’t exactly deny her attraction to Stacie either, opting instead to leave the sexual tension in the air for years. Beca could relate to that, which is why she was surprised when things escalated between the couple. After everyone departed from Copenhagen to head back to the states, Stacie and Aubrey extended their trip overseas. They spent a week in Paris and London before heading back and Beca was floored the first time she saw them together. She’d never seen Aubrey smile so much or look so relaxed. While Beca and Stacie got an apartment in the city together on a short lease so they could figure out their next moves into adulthood, Stacie spent most nights with Aubrey. After years of dancing around each other, the couple found a way to be together and had plans for the future, something Beca admired. It took courage to put everything on the line for one another and she wasn’t sure she had that type of courage.

“Okay enough about us, we will have plenty of time to catch up more, but let’s talk about this weekend. Exactly how big is this thing going to be? They are talking about 5,000 people being in attendance,” asked Aubrey.

“Maybe even more, but registration just opened and we don’t have the official numbers yet,” informed Gail as she walked over with John to greet them.

“Welcome Bellas, it is so great you were able to join us,” said John.

“Especially since we would’ve had to cancel the event, refunded the money, and gone into debt if you couldn’t,” added Gail. Beca crossed her arms and gave them a look.

“What exactly have you gotten us into here,” asked Beca.

“My mom showed me the website. You are selling photos ops and autograph sessions too,” questioned Emily and Gail happily nodded.

“Yes and you all have sessions. There are some tickets left, but sessions for Beca, Chloe, Aubrey, Stacie, Amy, and Cynthia Rose have already sold out. Don’t worry, other Bellas, I am sure your sessions will sell out within the hour. Registration started this morning and the window for purchasing tickets closes soon,” said Gail.

“Okay I know we are aca-awesome, but who would even want our autographs,” questioned Chloe and John chuckled.

“Trust me Chlo, can I call you Chlo,” asked John.

“No,” said Beca and Chloe nudged her.

“I thought this whole thing was going to be a disaster. I mean you are a bunch of women who sing acapella, who really wants to see that? Apparently the answer is a whole lot of people with money to spend. Who would’ve thought,” he laughed and they rolled their eyes.

“What my misogynistic partner means to say is that the response from your fans was surprising and a bit overwhelming at first. Originally, this event was just a simple Q&A for fellow acapella groups to ask you questions and get some tips for success, but the aca-enthusiasts came out ready to share their love for making music with their mouths. Fans from around the world have gathered in Los Angeles to meet the most influential collegiate acapella group of this generation. It truly will be a sight to see and we have been lucky to host the event at the beautiful Hyatt Regency,” said Gail.

“What’s happening right now,” whispered Beca as the rest of the Bellas shrugged and John chuckled.

“That’s right Gail, tonight an acapella only meet and greet will be thrown by USC’s very own Harmonicas to welcome the acapella groups in attendance, some of our boosters, and of course to honor the Bellas. The weekend fun really begins tomorrow morning with a breakfast for our contest winners and VIP Meet and Greet for a few lucky fans. This will be followed by Q&A, autograph, and photo op sessions for Ashley, Jessica, Emily, and Flo and Friday festivities will end with a karaoke party hosted by The Harmonicas. What a day,” informed John.

“Saturday is going to be quite the party full of Q&A, autograph, and photo op sessions for Beca, Chloe, Aubrey, Stacie, Amy, and Cynthia Rose. Afterwards, there will be a final panel and the Bellas have agreed to bless us with a performance, which I cannot wait to see.”

“I don’t know Gail the Acapella Bella Ball may have that beat though. Saturday night’s party will be a chance for attendees to dance and mingle so…”

“Hey, you two, snap out of it! This isn’t Let’s Talk-Apella. You don’t always have to be on,” interrupted Beca and Gail blinked a few times as if snapping out of a trance.

“Right, sorry, Sunday will be a Farewell Breakfast event for you and some attendees to end the weekend. The Harmonicas have offered their services all weekend to assist you and make sure you get to where you need to be on time. Most of the Bellas already have their room arrangements. There are two suites left for the four of you,” explained Gail and Beca looked around at the rest of the Bellas in utter confusion.

“So like, this is actually a thing we are doing? There really are people waiting to meet us? How is that even possible,” asked Beca and Aubrey shrugged with a smile.

“Never underestimate the power of acapella. There has always been a community of people who are passionate about it and winning Worlds put an international spotlight on the Bellas,” explained Aubrey and Chloe happily nodded.

“I have quite the Instagram following ever since we won Worlds, which is great for promoting my lessons at the dance studio. I have close to 500k followers already,” said Chloe and Amy smirked.

“I got you beat, Chloe. I am only ten thousand away from the elusive million. I will get there though. I must get there,” said Amy with determination in her eyes.

“What about you, Becs,” asked Chloe and Beca shrugged.

“Social media isn’t really my thing. I don’t have one,” said Beca.

“I don’t either. The CIA won’t let me,” whispered Lilly and Emily looked around at the others.

“Please tell me you heard that,” said Emily and she groaned when the others ignored the comment and Lilly smiled slyly at her.

“Alright, so dinner party tonight, but what about now? Do we have some time to go out in L.A.? I know some of us would really like to be tourists for a bit,” said Beca and Gail winked at her.

“We blocked off time for you ladies to get settled in and explore. The dinner will be out on the terrace at eight. See you then,” said Gail and John gave them a nod before following her out of the room. Chloe smiled sweetly at Beca.

“You hate touristy stuff,” said Chloe and Beca shrugged as she smiled at her.

“But you love it and if I am going to do touristy stuff at least I get to do it with you,” said Beca.

“Yea you do,” snickered Amy as she high-fived Stacie. Beca rolled her eyes at them.

“Alright nerds, let’s get out of here. Maybe the lame attractions will give me a chance to wrap my mind around all this,” said Beca and they all happily followed her out of the room, ready to explore the City of Angels.

 

After hours of taking in the sights and spectacles on Hollywood Boulevard and cruising the Sunset Strip, the Bellas made their way to The Grove for some shopping and food. Beca was relieved to get off her feet as the group sat out on the patio of The Cheesecake Factory overlooking the shoppers and busy businesses below.

“Okay, so we all agree on our performance at Worlds and ending with our rendition of When I’m Gone,” said Chloe and the rest of the Bellas nodded with smiles.

“As long as I don’t have to play on a cup, I am cool with that,” agreed Beca.

“What about an original song,” suggested Emily.

“You have any more of those just lying around, Legacy,” asked Beca and Emily shook her head.

“It would take too long to learn anyways,” said Aubrey.

“What about a song everyone already knows,” suggested Stacie and Cynthia Rose nodded.

“Yea, something cool, something on the Billboard charts this summer,” suggested Cynthia Rose.

“Trap Queen,” exclaimed Amy, but Beca immediately shook her head.

“Not happening,” said Beca.

“Cheerleader,” suggested Ashley.

“Shake It Off,” added Jessica.

“I refuse to sing Taylor Swift. She is bad for my street cred,” said Beca.

“Agreed,” said Cynthia Rose as they gave each other a nod.

“Love Me Like You Do,” said Stacie as she smiled at Aubrey. The moment the blonde blushed and bit her lip, Beca shook her head.

“Oh hell no, I am not singing a song so you two can engage in foreplay,” said Beca and Stacie smiled smugly as she wrapped an arm around the back of Aubrey’s chair.

“Don’t hate on lady jams, Bec or I will make sure Titanium is added to the set,” warned Stacie. Beca immediately stopped talking, which made Chloe laugh. Two waiters brought over their food and Emily beamed with happiness.

“We have until Saturday to figure it out and if we don’t, who cares. This isn’t a competition or a performance for us to stress about. We are all back together again and I don’t know about you but I am so stoked about that,” said Emily. The rest of the Bellas looked around the table at each other and Chloe held up her glass of lemonade.

“To Bellas for Life,” she toasted and everyone clinked glasses.

“Bellas for Life,” they cheered.

 

The day of travel and sightseeing had the Bellas exhausted, but they all managed to be dressed and ready for dinner. Stacie smiled adoringly at her girlfriend as they entered the elevator to head down to the terrace and looked her over in her black dress that flowed gracefully around her knees.

“You are so beautiful,” whispered Stacie as she pulled her into her arms. Aubrey’s hands slid over Stacie’s hips and rested on her backside as she looked her up and down in her black wrap dress.

“So are you. I am a very lucky woman,” said Aubrey before placing a chaste kiss on her lips. The doors of the elevator opened onto the terrace and they were surprised to see many of the Bellas already being greeted by groups of people. Monica hurried over to Aubrey with a bright smile.

“Wow, you look stunning. If you have the time tonight, I was hoping you would stop by my table to speak with the Harmonicas. So many of us look up to you and would love a chance to get advice from the best captain the Bellas ever had,” said Monica and Stacie rolled her eyes at the eager young woman. Aubrey giggled.

“It would be an honor,” said Aubrey and Monica clapped happily.

“Thank you! I will leave you to it. I know there are a lot of people here that want to meet you. Let me know if the food isn’t to your liking. I can always go out and get you something else.”

“That won’t be necessary, but thank you for all your hospitality. You are a wonderful hostess,” said Aubrey as Stacie slipped her hand into hers and pulled her away.

“Alright enough of that, Posen. Wouldn’t want you to get a big head,” grumbled Stacie and Aubrey playfully nudged her.

“She is just being nice.”

“She completely ignores me and only acknowledges you. I am not exactly feeling the hospitality.”

“Hey, she is just a fan. She actually reminds me a lot of myself when I first joined the Bellas. All I wanted was to be embraced and accepted by the people I looked up to. I never got that from Alice and I always wish I did.” Stacie sighed and nodded, knowing how much Aubrey struggled with being a Bella and never feeling good enough.

“Fine, but I still have my eye on her.”

“Come on, let’s get some food. I am already starving again,” she said.

“Shower sex will do that to you,” Stacie whispered in her ear and Aubrey shushed her with a giggle.

 

Beca was doing her best to hide out from the crowds of people mingling and trying to get pictures with the Bellas. It all felt surreal since they spent most of their acapella careers trying to show people they were legitimate and worthy of everything they had. She smiled as she watched Chloe laughing with a group of young women and men as she explained how the Bellas planned out choreography and the injuries they endured over the years. Jessica, Ashley, Flo, and Lilly were recounting tales of their first years as Bellas. Aubrey and Stacie were sitting at a table with the Harmonicas talking about the process for auditions and how to know what types of members to add. Cynthia Rose was speaking with The Trouble Tones about vocal ranges and hitting the right notes at the right time in arrangements and Emily was engrossed in a conversation with The Toners debating the merit of riff-offs. Beca was surprised by how many people surrounded Amy as she told stories about living in the Bella House and the events leading up to her infamous wardrobe malfunction. It seemed all the Bellas had their fans and admirers. She headed for the bar to refill her cranberry and vodka and gave a small smile as a young man approached her. He had deep dimples and hazel eyes that popped against his mocha skin.

“Hi, I’m Donovan. I am a member of Speed of Sound. It is a pleasure to finally meet the woman behind all the Bellas’ success. You truly changed the face of acapella.”

“So I have been told,” she said with a shy smile as she shook his hand.

“I’ve heard you’re quite modest. Not really a fan of stuff like this,” he asked and she shrugged.

“It is great, really. I mean I didn’t even know people cared about us enough to know our names let alone attend something like this.”

“Well believe it because there are a lot of people waiting to meet you this weekend. We came all the way from Tennessee for a chance to see you in person. I hope I am not bothering you, but I was wondering if you would be willing to talk a bit about your mixes and how you even got the idea to include them in acapella arrangements. I would love to know more. Can I buy you another drink?” She glanced over at Chloe and cleared her throat.

“Sure, um, I…well I would love to talk about mixes and arrangements. I can do that all day. I just don’t want you to get the wrong impression. Uh, I am not really looking or on the market if that’s what you are trying to…”

“Oh, no, no, uh, sorry, I think I have misconstrued something. That happens a lot with me. I am socially awkward sometimes. Um, I am gay and really just want to know about the mixes. Besides, I would never disrespect Chloe like that.” Beca’s eyes widened.

“Meaning,” she asked and he chuckled.

“Meaning I would probably be beheaded for trying to get in between the two queens of acapella. Your chemistry onstage is magical. I have never seen anything like it. I totally ship it and would never imagine trying to cause drama for you two.” Beca was stunned for a moment but managed to recover as her brain tried to grasp what Donovan was saying.

“Question, you say you would be beheaded, by who exactly?” Donovan smiled and pointed to two tables of people who Beca realized were watching them.

“I was sent over to see if you were cool with having company. We didn’t want to overwhelm you so consider me the sacrificial lamb. Is it okay if we hang with you and ask some questions?” Before Beca could respond, Chloe walked over and wrapped an arm securely around her waist.

“Who is your friend, Becs,” asked Chloe and Donovan’s jaw dropped.

“Oh my God, I am standing before Chloe Beale and Beca Mitchell together. Can I get a picture? Wait, I am supposed to be doing something. Focus Donovan, is it okay if my friends come over to say hi…and can I get a picture?” Chloe giggled at him and nodded.

“Of course, the more the merrier,” assured Chloe and he frantically waved over his friends. Beca smiled at Chloe as the group headed over to ask questions and Chloe answered them. It always amazed Beca how at ease Chloe was around people and it managed to put her at ease as well.

“You should tell that story though, Becs. When did you first know we had what it takes to win ICCAs,” asked Chloe and Beca smiled as she remembered her first year with the Bellas.

“I think for me it had to be our first riff-off. It was so spontaneous,” said Beca and the group hung on her every word as she told them about the first riff-off the Bellas ever had together.

 

By the end of the night, Beca was exhausted and Chloe giggled at her as she dramatically fell onto her bed. Chloe helped her take off her boots and Beca groaned as the redhead began massaging her feet.

“Long day,” asked Chloe with a teasing smile and Beca nodded.

“I don’t know how you do it. How do you manage to make socializing look so effortless? That was a lot, a whole lot, what is even happening right now?”

“Come on Becs, we always knew we had some fans. Who do you think filled up all those seats when we performed?”

“Paid extras,” she said as her eyes closed and Chloe playfully slapped her leg.

“Hey, we are aca-amazing and deserve all the fans we have. Tonight was a lot of fun. I have no clue what to expect tomorrow but it was great meeting so many acapella groups. When Bree and I first joined the Bellas, we would watch all these groups online and try to mimic them. There were so many people we wanted to be like. It is crazy to think there are people now that watch us and think, one day I want to be like Chloe Beale.” Beca smiled warmly at her.

“We would all be quite lucky to be even a fraction as amazing as you. I feel lucky just to know you and have you in my life.” She sat up on the bed and gulped when Chloe scooted closer to her. Their lips were mere inches apart and Chloe leaned in to close the distance. The desire that surged through her body surprised Beca. She always knew she wanted Chloe, but in that moment it felt like a need she never experienced before. She wanted to get lost in the kiss, in the way Chloe tasted, but pulled away to say what was nagging at her.

“I am moving to L.A. at the end of the summer,” she blurted out and Chloe frowned in confusion.

“What?”

“I just…I just needed you to know that before this goes any further.” Chloe ran a hand through her hair and sighed.

“Why do you always have to do that?”

“Do what,” asked Beca as she frowned in confusion.

“Put up a wall to keep me away from you.”

“That’s not what I was doing. I just wanted you to know before anything else happened tonight.”

“Really because it feels like you did it to keep me at arm’s length. I know you are moving, Beca. I wish you would have told me sooner. I wish there were a lot of things you told me sooner, but I already know.”

“How?”

“Aubrey mentioned it when I told her I wasn’t sure what you wanted from me. She was worried I’d just get hurt even more if I continued to pursue you. After you and Jesse broke up, I was really confused about why and if I had anything to do with it.” Beca slipped her hand into Chloe’s and nodded.

“You did. I didn’t want to admit it and even when he asked me about you, I lied. I didn’t want to admit how much you were the reason, but you were a big part of it, the most important part,” she confessed. Chloe straddled her waist and passionately kissed her as Beca moaned. She wanted to tell her more, tell her everything, but for once she decided to get lost in the only person she could never stop thinking about.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Beca woke up to an empty bed and the sound of Chloe’s voice coming from the other room. She slowly sat up and frowned in confusion as she feared their night together was only a dream. The sheet falling down to expose her naked body quelled those fears though. Chloe walked back into the room rolling a table full of food along with her and gave Beca her megawatt smile.

“You’re awake, good, I didn’t want to disturb you but I was starving. I ordered room service for us. I know we are eating breakfast in a couple of hours but I couldn’t wait and I wasn’t sure if you would be hungry or…”

“Chlo,” interrupted Beca as she held her hand out to the rambling redhead. Chloe laughed when Beca pulled her back into bed and rolled on top of her. She peppered kisses on Chloe’s neck.

“Morning,” whispered Beca and Chloe sighed happily.

“Morning, I wasn’t sure how you would feel when you woke up. I was afraid you would regret last night.”

“I don’t. I just regret not doing it sooner,” said Beca as she stroked her hair and Chloe hugged her.

“Then how about we make up for lost time,” suggested Chloe and Beca smiled as she untied Chloe’s robe.

 

Stacie giggled as Aubrey wrapped her arms around her from behind and nuzzled her neck. They were supposed to be getting ready but were easily distracting one another. Aubrey’s hand slid into Stacie’s robe and down her stomach as she peppered kisses on her neck.

“You smell good,” she mumbled against her skin and Stacie bit her lip as she watched her in the mirror.

“If you start this, I cannot guarantee we will finish before it is time to head downstairs,” warned Stacie and Aubrey groaned.

“Not fair, pitting my horniness against my anal retentive nature,” she grumbled.

“I am just curious which will win out,” teased Stacie and Aubrey thought for a moment. Stacie laughed when Aubrey picked her up and placed her back on the bed.

“Both,” whispered Aubrey and Stacie whimpered as Aubrey opened Stacie’s robe again. They groaned when there was a knock on the door and Aubrey cursed under her breath.

“Don’t you move,” she instructed before jogging into the living room and over to the door. She was surprised to see Monica standing there with a binder.

“Monica, hi, is everything okay?”

“Yes, I just wanted to go over the schedule for the day. You mentioned last night that you always like to have a plan and I wanted to lay out the day to put you at ease.”

“That is really sweet of you but Gail emailed us the schedule and I have it pulled up on my phone in case I need it. Thank you though.”

“Sure thing, I guess I will just see you down at breakfast then.”

“Yep,” said Aubrey as she waited for the woman to leave. Monica was about to speak again, but Aubrey gave her a wave and shut the door. She walked back into the bedroom and smiled mischievously when she saw Stacie spread out on the bed still waiting for her.

“Now, where were we,” she asked as Stacie bit her lip.

 

All the Bellas attended the Meet and Greet for the winners of the ICCA sponsored contest and were surprised to be introduced to a group of fans all the way from Brazil. Afterwards, Jessica, Ashley, Flo, and Emily were rushed off to sessions. The rest of the Bellas used the time to arrange their set and work on choreography in the practice hall Monica set up for them. By the time Jessica, Ashley, Flo, and Emily finished their panel, Beca felt comfortable with the amount of work they put into the performance.

“That was awesome,” exclaimed Emily as she entered the room and Flo nodded happily.

“I felt like a celebrity,” agreed Flo.

“Were there a lot of people,” asked Cynthia Rose and Jessica and Ashley both nodded as they sat down with the group to stretch.

“I don’t even know how many. I lost track after a while,” said Ashley.

“Same,” said Jessica.

“Um obviously, we are the Bellas, they are here to see us,” reminded Amy.

“Speaking of that, let’s try not to embarrass ourselves and keep the photo sharing to a minimum, Amy, especially of any past parties,” said Beca and Amy groaned.

“Aw, but I have some great ones and some that I bet I could sell online for a pretty penny,” said Amy and Cynthia Rose held out her hand.

“That’s it. I need to see the phone. I don’t trust you with it anymore. Hand it over, Amy,” said Cynthia Rose and Amy stuffed her phone in her bra.

“Never,” she exclaimed and Cynthia Rose smirked.

“Like I am afraid to go in there. Come here, Amy,” she laughed as she tackled Amy to the ground and they wrestled around. The rest of the Bellas laughed and shook their heads in amusement. Chloe whistled loudly to get their attention.

“Alright enough playing around, I know we said this isn’t a competition and it isn’t, but I feel like we should put on a good show for these people. Some of them came a long way to see us and I don’t want to disappoint,” said Chloe and Beca nodded in agreement.

“Exactly, the fans from Brazil were amazing and I think we should give them a performance that will blow minds,” agreed Beca and Stacie arched an eyebrow at her friend.

“Well look at you being all chipper. I guess Chloe is rubbing off on you,” she said with a teasing smile as she eyed her carefully. Beca blushed and cleared her throat.

“What about I Don't Like It, I Love It,” suggested Beca and they all cheered on the suggestion. Beca looked around at their makeshift circle and winked at Lilly, Jessica, and Ashley.

“Alright, let’s see what we got. Start us off,” instructed Beca and she nodded along as the rest of the Bellas picked up on the beat. Beca winked at Chloe, who began singing the song. Cynthia Rose joined in as well. Before they knew it, all the Bellas were grooving along and improvising. It was still rough and wasn’t performance ready, but they couldn’t stop smiling at each other, realizing they still had their sound.

 

That evening in the main ballroom, the Harmonicas hosted the karaoke party, which was more fun than Beca thought it would be. Acapella members and fans alike took their shot at doing covers of songs while others mingled, danced, and ate. Gail and John were in attendance and recorded the whole party, interviewing attendees and Bellas for the documentary they wanted to release. Chloe finally managed to pull Aubrey away from all the fans and acapella groups trying to get their attention long enough to sneak out into one of the back hallways.

“What’s up? Everything okay,” asked Aubrey and Chloe nodded excitedly.

“Yes, but if I don’t get this out, I am going to explode. I have wanted to tell you all day but we have been too busy. Beca and I slept together last night,” she whispered and Aubrey’s jaw dropped.

“Seriously, how was it? I mean I don’t need all the details but was it what you hoped it would be? How did it even happen?”

“I don’t know. It just did. When we were at Barden, there were so many times I planned it out in my head when we were in my room or on the road in a hotel. I always wanted it to happen but it just never felt right. This was different though. It felt effortless. We were just sitting on the bed talking and I was massaging her feet. It had been a long day and I figured we would just head to bed but the next thing I know, we were kissing. I mean there was one hiccup.”

“Uh oh, don’t tell me she is bad at it.” Aubrey giggled as Chloe slapped her shoulder.

“Of course not, it was before that. As soon as we kissed, she told me about L.A., which frustrated me because she picked one hell of a moment to bring it up. We talked about it though and then everything just happened.”

“I am happy for you. I know how long you have wanted this.”

“It just feels right, you know? For once there is no one in our way. There is no Jesse to worry about or Bella drama or stress. I just feel like this is our chance.” Aubrey hugged her and sighed. She wanted to tell her about Los Angeles and the decision she and Stacie made. She’d been waiting for the right time and hoped the next step in Chloe and Beca’s relationship meant it would all be a good thing, but she was nervous. Chloe didn’t always deal well with change. Change scared her. It was why it took her so long to graduate and Aubrey was worried about how her best friend would take the news.

“Chlo…” Before she could continue, Monica approached them with a smile.

“There you are. Chloe, Beca is looking for you. Some of the fans want a picture with the two of you,” informed Monica and Chloe beamed with happiness.

“Don’t want to keep them waiting,” she giggled and hurried back inside. Aubrey was about to follow her friend, but Monica grabbed her hand.

“Before you go back in there and are bombarded with more requests for selfies, I wanted to show you the stage for your performance tomorrow. I know you ladies will be fine either way but you mentioned that you prefer to survey the space before you have to perform when possible.” Aubrey sighed in relief.

“That sounds perfect. We really want to do a good job tomorrow and it would be nice to know we have enough room for our choreography,” agreed Aubrey as they headed down the long hallway. Monica smiled brightly.

“I can't wait to see you perform again. You were amazing in Copenhagen. I wish I could have been there to see it live but I was able to catch it on YouTube.” Aubrey waved her off.

“I was simply backup. The Bellas didn’t even need me.”

“That isn’t true. There are no Bellas without you. Before you became captain, the Treblemakers were the face of acapella and men dominated. Now you can't even mention collegiate acapella without mentioning the Bellas and that is all because of you.” Aubrey blushed.

“Thank you for saying that. If I am being honest, there are times when I don’t really feel like a Bella. I mean I know I am, but most of their success came after I left. A part of me always felt like they were better off once I was gone.”

“That is ridiculous. Look at what happened when they didn’t have your leadership and structure. Beca and Chloe are great, but there would be no Muffgate if you were the captain.”

“That’s true,” said Aubrey with a smirk.

“After that, acapella was mocked even more and not all of us had a tight-knit group to fall back on. At USC, we already got a lot of crap about being in acapella before that. We even lost some members because of it.”

“I am sorry to hear that and I get it. Being on a campus with the Treblemakers was bad enough, but after my…incident…I didn’t think I would ever show my face on stage again.”

“But you did because you are so brave and you went on to lead the Bellas to a championship. You are an inspiration. Here we are,” said Monica as she opened the double doors to the hall. Rows of chairs were already set up and Aubrey looked around in awe as they walked up the stairs of the stage.

“It is strange. This isn’t the biggest space we have ever played but I guess it feels different knowing everyone is here just to see us. I am so impressed you were able to organize all of this. You are a great asset to the world of acapella, Monica. We are lucky to have people like you in it,” complimented Aubrey as she continued to look around and map out the space. Monica sighed dreamily.

“You have no clue how much it means to me to hear you say that, Aubrey,” she said and Aubrey gasped when Monica’s lips were suddenly on hers. She quickly stepped away from her.

“What the hell,” said Stacie as she stepped into the room. Aubrey’s eyes widened as Stacie shook her head in disbelief and stormed out.

“Stace,” called Aubrey.

“Let her go,” said Monica as she reached out for Aubrey, but Aubrey quickly shook her head.

“You have the wrong impression here. She is my girlfriend and I love her very much. I have to go,” said Aubrey before jogging out of the conference hall. Stacie punched the button to the elevator and paced back and forth as she impatiently waited for it to arrive. She sighed in relief when it did and pushed the button to her floor. Aubrey ran in before the doors could close and Stacie looked away and wiped her eyes as the doors finally shut.

“Stace, that isn’t what…well it was. She kissed me, but I didn’t kiss her back.”

“I am trying really hard not to head back down there and kick her ass right now,” Stacie practically growled. Aubrey reached for her hand, but Stacie jerked away from her.

“Don’t. You aren't exactly innocent in all this,” reminded Stacie and Aubrey frowned in confusion. The elevator doors opened on their floor and Stacie headed for their suite with Aubrey in tow.

“How is any of this my fault? I didn’t ask her to kiss me,” defended Aubrey and Stacie scoffed as she entered their suite. She unzipped her dress and took it off before rummaging through her bag for more clothes.

“What are you doing,” asked Aubrey.

“I need air. I can't be here with you right now because if I am, I am going to say something we will both regret and I don’t want that.”

“Stace, this is ridiculous. I love you and I don’t understand how you could even think I would cheat on you! I would never cheat on you,” yelled Aubrey, suddenly upset that she was being accused of something she had no part in. Stacie pulled on a pair of yoga pants and her favorite hoodie. It was the one Aubrey bought for her when they were in London.

“Well you sure as hell didn’t make it clear you had a girlfriend.”

“What was I supposed to do? Wear a bright neon sign? Everyone knows we are together. I didn’t know I needed it written in sharpie across my forehead!”

“Oh please spare me your dramatics right now, Bree. You enjoy the attention she is giving you and that’s why you allowed it to go on for so long.”

“That’s not true. I didn’t think she would actually try to make a move and be so bold about it. I thought she just admired me as a captain and I didn’t see the big deal. Why are you even mad at me? You know I love you.”

“Yea you love me privately, just not publicly. I am aware. I need to go blow off some steam, so please move,” said Stacie as she headed for the door, but Aubrey blocked it.

“No! You aren't going to just walk out after saying that. What does that even mean? You know I love you. I have been very clear about how much I love you.”

“Yea, when it is just you and me, you have no problem showing me that but get pretty tight-lipped about the fact you have a girlfriend when we are in public.”

“That’s not true. I was all for telling our friends and can name several times I’ve allowed you to be affectionate with me in front of them!”

“Allowed, really, you think you get to allow that?” Aubrey growled in frustration.

“I didn’t mean it like that. Damn it Stace, stop trying to twist my words so you can win an argument! I love you. I have opened up to you in ways I have never even fathomed opening up to someone else and it hurts that it isn’t enough for you. You know how hard it has been for me to come out. Being with you, allowing myself to be vulnerable and scared with you is a massive step for me.” Stacie crossed her arms.

“There is one flaw in your logic there, Posen.”

“And what’s that?”

“Monica is a woman. This wasn’t a case of some creepy dude flirting with you and you not wanting to mention you have a girlfriend because you struggle with coming out to people. She flirted with you because she knew you would be okay with it and maybe you need to figure out for yourself why that happened.” Aubrey wracked her brain for a response, a retort, a justification but she was caught off guard by the accusation. Stacie rolled her eyes and reached for the doorknob again.

“Now move, Bree,” she whispered with tears in her eyes and Aubrey clenched her jaw in frustration as she moved out of the way so Stacie could leave.

 

Chloe wasn’t surprised when she got the text message. Lilly and Emily saw the couple getting into the elevator and neither looked happy. Chloe knocked on the door to Aubrey and Stacie’s suite and sighed when she saw her best friend in tears. She hugged her tightly and Aubrey allowed herself to sob in her best friend’s arms.

“What happened,” asked Chloe as they sat down on the couch.

“Monica kissed me and Stacie blames me for it. How was I supposed to know she would even do that? I thought she was just being nice to me because she admired me as a captain, not because she was into me. How can Stacie even think I would want anyone else?” Chloe sighed and stroked her hair.

“She is just upset and you two will work it out. No one likes to see the person they love kissing someone else.”

“But I didn’t kiss her and I deserve the benefit of the doubt here.”

“I agree. You have never been one to be unfaithful.”

“She blames me for Monica because she thinks I liked the attention. Apparently she also thinks I am ashamed of us or something because I am not humping her in public.”

“What?”

“Okay, she didn’t say that, but she said I didn’t make it clear she is my girlfriend. Of course it is clear. I love her so much and I can't live without her. I mean I am uprooting my entire life for her to move to L.A. and she knows how big of a deal that is for me. If I didn’t care then…”

“Wait, what? You are moving,” asked Chloe in shock and Aubrey groaned as she caught her mistake.

“When,” asked Chloe.

“I was going to tell you. I was just looking for the right time.”

“When,” demanded Chloe again and Aubrey ran a hand through her hair.

“In August, one of Stacie’s uncles has a house out here and he is letting us stay in it. She is going to UCLA for graduate school instead of Georgia Tech…”

“And moving out here to be with her best friend. I get all that. What I don’t get is why my best friend didn’t tell me.”

“I was looking for the right time. You were upset about Beca and trying to figure out your next move after Barden. I didn’t want to overwhelm you.”

“So you lied to me?”

“Of course not, I always planned on telling you.” Aubrey looked down as Chloe stood up and crossed her arms.

“You do hide Stacie. You just now told the Bellas. You barely go out on dates even though she constantly asks because deep down you are still afraid to be gay in public and maybe even a little ashamed. That is also why you didn’t think about the fact Monica was really flirting with you and deep down know you would have responded differently to the situation if she was a man. Stacie sees it and so do I. I guess I always planned on telling you. I was just looking for the right time.” Chloe stormed out of the room and Aubrey sighed as she placed her face in her hands.

 

Beca plopped down on the bed and checked her phone again to see if Chloe responded to her text messages. After she left the party to check on Aubrey, Beca was left to fend for herself against the sea of people wanting a chance to speak with her. It was overwhelming but Amy, Emily, Flo, Jessica, and Ashley helped her through it by taking some of the attention off of her. It was the first time Beca was truly grateful for Amy’s arsenal of stories. She frowned in confusion when she heard a knock on the door and frowned even more when she opened it to see Aubrey standing there looking emotionally drained.

“Hey,” said Beca as she opened the door wider for her to enter.

“Is Stacie here,” she asked as she looked around the living room.

“No, actually I haven’t seen her. What happened?”

“What about Chloe?”

“She isn’t answering my texts. What is going on, Aubrey?”

“Things are so screwed up. Monica kissed me.”

“Ew.”

“Stacie saw and freaked out. We got into an argument and she left. Then Chloe came to talk to me about it and I accidentally let my move to L.A. slip out. It has not been a good night for me,” explained Aubrey as she collapsed on the couch. Beca slowly nodded and pulled a small bottle of vodka from her pocket.

“I grabbed one of these from a bartender at the party just in case I needed a shot and have some leftover orange juice in the fridge from this morning. Want a drink?” Aubrey nodded as she sniffled and stared down at her hands. Beca sighed in relief, happy to keep herself busy instead of stand by awkwardly as Aubrey cried.

“You and Stacie are going to be fine. She loves you and just needs time to think. That big brain of hers may work fast but it also thinks circles around the rest of us. She just needs time to process her feelings about everything and don’t worry about Chloe. She can never stay mad at you for long. There have been plenty of times you deserved her wrath and she forgave you. This isn’t one of them.”

“Do you think I am ashamed of Stacie,” whispered Aubrey and Beca frowned in confusion. She handed Aubrey a drink and sat down beside her.

“No, where did that come from?”

“Stacie and Chloe both think that I am. They think I am ashamed to be with her in public and that’s why I don’t announce her as my girlfriend.” Beca nodded her understanding.

“I think it is hard for people like you and me. Even with Jesse, I just couldn’t really be the lovey dovey couple in public. I mean yea some of it was that I had feelings for Chloe and didn’t want to flaunt us in front of her but I did have feelings for him too.”

“I know you did. A lot of times, because of course I am always on Chloe’s side, I would get so frustrated that you just didn’t leave him and admit how you felt for Chloe but I got it. You were conflicted.”

“I know you love Stacie and they are wrong. You show your affection for her when you are in public plenty. Sure, it is mainly around your friends and people you trust but those are the only people who matter. You and I aren't the scream it from the rooftop types, but I have never once thought you were ashamed.”

“When I am with Stacie, nothing else matters. It doesn’t matter that I hated my job and am not quite sure what I want to do with my life. It doesn’t matter that I have always felt awkward and out of place no matter how hard I try not to. It doesn’t even matter that my father refuses to spend time with me and will probably disown me when he finds out I am in love with a woman. All that matters is us. I can't lose her, Beca,” cried Aubrey and Beca sighed as she pulled her in for a hug.

“You won’t.”

“How do you know that?” Beca’s phone buzzed and she showed the screen to Aubrey after reading the message.

“Because she is staying with Cynthia Rose and Emily tonight to think. If Stacie didn’t plan on coming back to you, she would go into Hunter Mode and hop on the first person she thought could keep her entertained for a night.”

“That really doesn’t put me at ease.” Beca winked at her.

“She loves you, which is why she is crashing on a friend’s couch tonight instead of going out to a bar. Give her some space and talk to her tomorrow. You two will work it out.” Aubrey slowly nodded, downed the rest of her drink, and stood up.

“Thank you, Beca. You didn’t have to console me but you did. Thanks for that.”

“I know you and I aren't exactly besties but I do consider you a friend, Bree.”

“Me too, goodnight.”

“Night,” said Beca and Aubrey gave her a wave before leaving. Beca ran a hand through her hair and slouched down on the couch as she checked her phone again. She wasn’t sure where Chloe was, but planned on going out to look for her if she didn’t show up soon.

 


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning was rough to say the least and all the Bellas could sense the tension as they rehearsed for their performance. Everyone was tired from the night before or emotionally exhausted. Chloe arrived back at the hotel past midnight but didn’t say a word to Beca. Instead, she climbed in bed and said she just wanted to sleep. Beca was frustrated with being shut out since she didn’t believe she did anything wrong, but tried to give Chloe the space she needed to process everything. Everyone was surprised but a bit relieved when Cynthia Rose finally spoke up and stopped them during rehearsal.

“Okay what the hell? This is horrible. I know why Stacie and Aubrey are off, but why are Chloe and Beca dancing like they have two left feet? Beca has always been a bit uncoordinated but Chloe, you know better,” said Cynthia Rose.

“Hey,” exclaimed Beca, but Amy waved her off.

“You know she is right, Short Stuff. What is going on,” asked Amy.

“Nothing, everything is fine,” said Chloe and Ashley rolled her eyes.

“Oh great, we’re back to this again,” mumbled Ashley.

“What is that supposed to mean,” asked Chloe.

“It means anytime something happens between you and Beca, the entire group has to deal with it,” said Jessica and Beca frowned in confusion.

“Hey chill, that isn’t even true. Stacie and Aubrey are the ones with the issues,” defended Beca and Stacie smirked.

“Way to throw me under the bus, Bec. They are right, by the way. We’ve spent plenty of practices dealing with your tension. You can deal with mine for one,” reminded Stacie and Chloe rolled her eyes.

“Oh come off it. Monica kissed her and you are just being dramatic. The two of you still get to ride off into the sunset together. Meanwhile, all my friends are leaving me behind and didn’t even have the courtesy to tell me,” argued Chloe.

“Hey, I told you,” said Beca.

“Yea, right after kissing me and a month before leaving, real nice,” said Chloe and Beca gritted her teeth in frustration. Aubrey stepped toward Stacie, but the brunette shook her head.

“I’m not done being angry with you,” said Stacie.

“This is such crap! I didn’t do anything wrong,” yelled Aubrey and Beca groaned as the couple began arguing. Chloe rolled her eyes and sat down to rest her legs as the rest of the Bellas threw their hands up in exasperation.

“Alright enough,” shouted Emily and everyone looked at her in shock.

“I am so tired of the fighting and drama and tension. We are in L.A. at a convention for us. Do you know how cool that is? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you want to ruin it? Stacie, it sucks Monica kissed Aubrey. She is jerk for doing that but we all know she doesn’t stand a chance. Aubrey obviously only has eyes for the Hunter. Beca, Chloe, for the love of God, can you two just admit you love each other, get married, and have aca-babies? I don’t know how the rest of them put up with it so long. I have known you for a year and am close to kidnapping you and forcing you to elope. This is it guys! After this, we all go our separate ways again. No more Bellas practices together, no more amazing nights out, or slumber parties, this is all we get, and I am not going to let that be ruined because we will all regret it later,” ranted Emily. Amy let out a low whistle at the outburst and gave an impressed nod.

“Damn, I didn’t know Legacy had it in her. Respect,” said Amy. Flo wrapped an arm around Emily.

“She is right. We all should cherish this time together,” agreed Flo.

“Especially since we will go back to forgetting each other when it is over,” grumbled Ashley and Beca frowned in confusion.

“That’s a bit harsh,” said Beca and Jessica scoffed.

“Come on Beca, you don’t exactly keep in touch. We all knew we had to move on from Barden. We just didn’t think it meant we would move on from one another so easily,” said Jessica.

“That’s not true,” assured Beca and Cynthia Rose sighed.

“Isn’t it? I mean I talk to Jessica, Ashley, and Flo on the regular but you have never once returned a call. I am lucky if I can get a hold of Stacie once in a while,” said Cynthia Rose and Stacie looked down. Emily shrugged.

“It isn’t like I get a lot of calls from any of you either,” reminded Emily. Amy smiled sheepishly.

“Sorry flat butts, I know I have been M.I.A, but I was in Australia and roaming fees and long distance charges are killer there. Besides, I figured everyone would move on with their lives. Cynthia Rose, Jessica, and Ashley are boss ass bitches taking on Broadway. Flo is busy with law school at NYU. Emily has new Bellas to focus on. Lilly is probably working for the government on some top secret mission and Beca, Chloe, Aubrey, and Stacie have always been their own little friend group. Everyone is doing their own thing.”

“That’s not…I mean…” Chloe tried to protest the comment as she looked over at Aubrey, Stacie, and Beca. Cynthia Rose shrugged.

“Where’s the lie,” asked Cynthia Rose and Aubrey sighed.

“Look, yes Chloe is my best friend and I love Stacie, which means I kind of am attached to Beca whether I like it or not…”

“Love you too, Bree,” mumbled Beca.

“But, we all are going through things and it isn’t just some perfect friend group. We’re all trying to figure out how to move on and who we are now that this chapter of our lives is closing. It is hard. Trust me, I know. When I left Barden, it sucked seeing all of you continue on and do so well while I struggled to find my place. I am still struggling with that but it helps knowing that we are a family. Sometimes family doesn’t talk for a while or they get mad at each other or drama goes down, but it doesn’t change that we are family,” assured Aubrey. She smiled when Stacie laced their fingers together and nodded.

“She is right,” said Stacie and Emily nodded as well.

“And we are all going through stuff. I am terrified of screwing up as a captain next year. I have to start completely over and I am so worried I am going to tarnish the Bella name you built,” confessed Emily and Beca scoffed.

“Bree puked all over a stage, Amy showed her vagina to the president, and we almost got the Bellas shut down at Barden. Trust me, you will be fine,” assured Beca. Chloe wrapped an arm around Emily.

“And if you aren't, just call,” added Chloe before kissing her cheek. Beca looked around the room at everyone and sighed as she sat down.

“I guess it has been a while since I talked to most of you. I’ve been so worried about the future that I kind of shut down for a while. I am sorry about that but I am here now. What’s been going on,” asked Beca.

“I finally got my visa figured out. Even after getting accepted to law school at NYU, I almost was deported from the country. All I have ever wanted was to get a good education and make something of myself in this country and I almost didn’t get the chance,” said Flo as Ashley, Jessica, and Cynthia Rose smiled sympathetically at her.

“That’s horrible. I didn’t know. I am sorry, Flo,” said Beca.

“Jess and I were cut from our first show. The director doesn’t think we have enough talent to make it,” confessed Ashley.

“Then that director is an idiot. You are two of the most talented performers I have ever met,” said Chloe and Aubrey nodded in agreement.

“I knew right away you would make the Bellas better,” said Aubrey.

“Well, I have been doing pretty good I guess. I got cast in the play _Hamilton_. It is about to be on Broadway, but I am nervous. What if I’m not as good as they think or I screw everything up? This could be my big break and I just feel all this pressure,” admitted Cynthia Rose.

“That is amazing, CR,” exclaimed Stacie and Cynthia Rose laughed as Stacie picked her up and twirled her around. The others congratulated her as well and Chloe smiled.

“You are going to be amazing and are truly a force of nature, Cynthia Rose. Wow, I had no clue all this stuff was going on. I guess I spent so much time worrying about being left behind and everything changing that I became a crappy friend,” admitted Chloe as she looked down.

“We all did,” said Lilly and they all looked at her in shock as she continued. “None of us have been great friends to all of us at once. None of us took the step to call everyone or made the effort. Maybe some of us were busy and others didn’t want to seem like a burden but the calls didn’t come either way. Life is like that sometimes though. Sometimes, you lose touch with people, but it doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. Aubrey is right. We are a family.”

“Hell, it must be true if Lilly is speaking up to say it,” said Amy and everyone laughed. Emily looked around at all of them and smiled.

“Bellas for Life,” she reminded and they all hugged.

“Bellas for Life,” they agreed and Beca sighed.

“Look, I know we all have things to be scared of and big changes going on in our lives. A lot has changed in the past few months and it sucks knowing we don’t have each other to lean on in the same way anymore. I used to love being able to come back to the Bella House after a long day and know my girls had my back. Even Aubrey could come over and hang out when the real world got too heavy. We might not have that anymore, but we still have each other. I have sucked at keeping in touch and letting people in because my default setting is to shut everyone out when I am stressed, but I love you awesome nerds and I will do better,” vowed Beca.

“We all will,” agreed Chloe and they nodded in agreement.

“How about we take a half hour break to regroup? We still have some time before the first meetup of the day and we’ve planned a lot more in a lot less time. Thirty minutes won’t hurt anything,” suggested Beca and they began dispersing from the room. Aubrey clutched Stacie’s hand as her girlfriend led her back to their suite. Both were silent on the way up, but Aubrey sighed in relief when Stacie pulled her into her arms the moment they were in their room. Aubrey didn’t realize how much emotion she was holding in until she began sobbing in Stacie’s arms.

“I’m sorry,” whispered Stacie and Aubrey captured her lips in a passionate kiss. She whimpered when Stacie hoisted her up onto the bar counter and peppered kisses on her neck.

“You can't just leave me like that, Stace,” whispered Aubrey and Stacie sighed as she looked down.

“I know and I know better. I just saw red last night. I have never felt like this before, so overwhelmed by how much I love you, and when I saw her kiss you I just freaked. The thought of you leaving me for someone else…”

“I would never. Stace, I love you so much. I am not ashamed of us and you have to know that I feel so damn lucky to be yours. I thought a lot about what you said last night and I didn’t even realize I was being different when we are out. My father raised me to be reserved in public and I guess it stuck more than I realized, but it has nothing to do with you, with us. I am still learning how to be so in love,” explained Aubrey and Stacie nodded.

“I know that and I am sorry. It was stupid for me to even bring it up and I overreacted. People are going to flirt with you and even try to make a move. I know I have to trust in you and in us.”

“I should’ve made it clear from the beginning that she had no chance though. I am just not used to having women flirt with me,” said Aubrey and Stacie smiled slyly.

“You’re right. It is your fault for being so hot.” She giggled when Aubrey shook her head in amusement.

“Come here,” whispered Aubrey before tenderly kissing her. She gasped when Stacie pulled off her shirt.

“Baby, we have to be back at rehearsal in…”

“They can start without us,” assured Stacie and Aubrey moaned as she began to undress her.

 

Beca shoved her hands into her pockets as she and Chloe entered their suite. Chloe sat down and took a sip from her bottle of water as Beca joined her on the couch.

“I am sorry for coming back so late last night and how I acted when I did,” said Chloe.

“I was really worried. I thought things were great between us after the other night, but now I am worried that you regret it,” confessed Beca and Chloe cupped her cheek as she sighed.

“Becs, of course I don’t regret the other night. It was the best night of my life. I have wanted it to happen for so long,” assured Chloe and Beca sighed in relief.

“Me too, so why were you so upset?”

“When we graduated, I knew everything would change, but there are some things I hoped wouldn’t. I always knew you would move to L.A. and I accepted that. A part of me just assumed we would do what we always do. Find our way back to each other, but it all hit me pretty hard last night when Aubrey said she was moving to L.A. with Stacie. It made me feel scared of being alone in Atlanta, but also jealous and then that made me feel like a crappy friend. I was a really crappy friend to her last night. She came to me upset about Stacie and I just made things worse.”

“You got kind of blindsided by everything, but you do have a say in all of this.”

“How,” asked Chloe as tears filled her eyes.

“When Sammy first offered me the position, I hesitated because I realized my goals had changed a bit. I could stay in Atlanta and have a good job at Residual Heat making music and still be with you and Stace and Bree. I could still have my career and be with the people that have become my family. The truth is I don’t want to lose you. I love you, Chloe.”

“I love you too,” cried Chloe as she hugged her and Beca took in a deep breath.

“And look, I know it may seem fast and it is probably really selfish of me to ask but I have to take a shot here. Is there any way you would consider moving to L.A. with me…with us,” asked Beca hopefully and the smile that graced Chloe’s lips made Beca smile as well.

“Hmmm, let me think. Is there any way I could move to an amazing city with you and our two best friends to have an amazing life together? I don’t know. That is a hard one,” teased Chloe.

“I just don’t want you to feel like you have to sacrifice for us to be together.”

“I work at a dance studio. I am pretty sure I can have more opportunities out here as a choreographer. Besides, all I have ever wanted is for us to have a chance to be together. So yes Beca, I would love to move to L.A. with you.”

“Yea,” laughed Beca as Chloe tackled her into a hug.

“Yes,” giggled Chloe.

“So um, this means you are my girlfriend, right?”

“I don’t know. Usually one has to be asked about such things,” teased Chloe. Beca smiled and laced their fingers together.

“Chloe Beale, will you please be my girlfriend?”

“About time, Mitchell,” whispered Chloe before passionately kissing her.

 

The rest of rehearsal went smoothly, even though Stacie and Aubrey returned late and were teased about it the entire time. Once everyone felt confident about the performance, Beca, Chloe, Aubrey, Stacie, Amy, Cynthia Rose, and Lilly went to get ready for their sessions. They were surprised by the response they received as they entered the spacious conference hall where cameras and tables with pens were set up. Attendees were already in line waiting to meet them and Beca found herself being quite overwhelmed by the response.

“This is insane,” whispered Beca into Chloe’s ear and Chloe winked at her.

“At least Amy is enjoying it,” said Chloe as Amy gave several bows and waved to the crowd before sitting down at the table. One by one, attendees made their way down the line of tables for their autographs. Many had the posters offered by the convention signed, but some got creative and had the Bellas sign other pictures and sheet music. Aubrey smiled sweetly at Stacie when her girlfriend showed her the picture of them hugging after their first ICCA championship. They both happily signed it and thanked the young woman that showed it to them. The autograph session was followed by photo ops and all of them laughed at the poses and antics Amy encouraged. Afterward, Beca, Chloe, Aubrey, and Stacie watched from backstage with the rest of the Bellas as Amy, Cynthia Rose, and Lilly had their panel. The conference hall was packed with attendees and Amy, Cynthia Rose, and Lilly did not disappoint with their answers. The questions ranged from serious questions about acapella to comedic and even downright personal questions.

“Shag, Marry, Kill Bellas Edition, oh that’s a good one,” said Amy as the crowd laughed and Cynthia Rose rubbed her hands together.

“What do you think, Lilly,” asked Cynthia Rose and Lilly tapped her chin as she thought about it.

“Shag Stacie, marry Jessica and Ashley, and kill Emily,” said Lilly into the microphone.

“Hey,” exclaimed Emily from backstage and the crowd cheered as she marched onstage to confront Lilly while Cynthia Rose and Amy laughed.

“Seriously,” shrieked Emily and Lilly shrugged.

“You’re the youngest,” said Lilly.

“That’s not a reason to kill someone,” exclaimed Emily and Amy raised her hand.

“No, no, Legacy, you are overlooking a bigger problem. Lilly, you can't marry both Jessica and Ashley. That’s against the rules,” said Amy.

“They are the same person. They exist in the same time and space continuum. If you try to remove one from the other, the universe will implode,” explained Lilly and Emily stomped her foot.

“So then kill them and leave me alone,” argued Emily and Lilly shrugged as Emily shook her head in disbelief.

“You two better not kill me,” warned Emily before walking backstage. Amy and Cynthia Rose rolled their eyes.

“Alright, fine, sheesh, she is so sensitive about dying. Uh, you go first CR, I need more time,” said Amy.

“Fine, I would shag Chloe, marry Stacie, and kill Aubrey…for reasons,” she said with a smile as she looked backstage. She laughed when Aubrey flipped her off. Cynthia Rose blew her a kiss.

“Love you too, Bree,” called Cynthia Rose.

“I think my answer might surprise some of you. I am going to shag Cynthia Rose…”

“Yea you will,” said Cynthia Rose with a wink.

“I will kill Jessica to test Lilly’s theory about the continuum and I am going to marry Aubrey.”

“What,” exclaimed Cynthia Rose, but Lilly nodded in agreement as if it made perfect sense.

“She seems like she would be a good provider and I could be a trophy wife. She would do all the work, make sure we are taken care of, and I just have to look pretty. Simple,” explained Amy. Aubrey shook her head in amusement.

 

There was a brief intermission before the next panel and Amy made it a point to grab a chair from backstage and go sit in the audience so she could ask questions too. The rest of the Bellas did the same, which the crowd loved, as Beca, Chloe, Aubrey, and Stacie took their seats on the stage. Aubrey had to rub Stacie’s back soothingly when Monica walked back onstage to moderate the session.

“It is my honor to welcome Beca Mitchell, Chloe Beale, Aubrey Posen, and Stacie Conrad to the stage. Let’s give it up for them,” announced Monica and the four of them blushed at the crowd response as they waved. One of the attendees walked over to the microphone to ask his question.

“This question is for all of you. I am the new captain of my group and we are reassessing our current bylaws. How do you feel about rules dictating if members can have romantic relationships with one another?” Beca smiled smugly at Aubrey, which made the blonde roll her eyes.

“I’ll start us off. When I first became a Bella, we didn’t have rules about dating one another, but there were rules about dating other members of acapella groups. I did away with that rule and I would definitely eliminate rules or bylaws that try to dictate who you can be with. What do you think, Bree,” asked Beca and Aubrey playfully glared at her.

“For the record, I did not create the rule in question. I simply followed it, but looking back I don’t think rules like that actually are productive. It doesn’t change what actually happens between members, so I think instead I would suggest being open and upfront about your relationships,” said Aubrey and Chloe nodded in agreement.

“I think we’ve all learned the hard way that even when you think your personal relationships aren't affecting your group, they do, so it is important to be honest about what is going on because everyone can tell, especially if you are as close as our group is,” added Chloe. Everyone looked at Stacie and she smiled slyly.

“I mean I am all for doing who you want to do and loving who you want to love. I do agree you want to take into consideration the way you impact your friends though. If you are only looking for a hookup, your group members may not be the best place to look,” said Stacie. A young woman stepped in front of the microphone to ask a question next.

“This question is for Stacie. As the only member of the group on stage that was not a captain, what was it like being led by Aubrey and Chloe versus Beca and Chloe?”

“Answer honestly,” shouted Cynthia Rose from the audience and everyone laughed.

“No pressure, Stace,” teased Beca and Stacie pursed her lips as she thought about her answer.

“Well, I am really close with all three of them now and hindsight is also 20/20 so I think what Freshman and Sophomore Stacie would answer might be a bit different, but I think we had exactly what we needed as a group at the times they were leading. Aubrey knows the procedure, the policies, and how to keep things structured. Beca knows how to bring a new type of sound and creativity and we relied a lot on originality as a group. Chloe is like the mom of the group. She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met and you always feel at home with her so I think she did a great job balancing out Aubrey and Beca in that way. That first year, I think we needed Aubrey’s structure because we were all over the place and none of us really knew what we were getting into, but once we won ICCAs the game changed a bit. We went from being the underdogs and misfits to the standard, so Beca’s ability to constantly evolve and help us create new sounds and tap into original sets made us successful. I’ve learned a lot as a Bella and I think a lot stems from the way we were led and had to learn how to overcome obstacles together.” Everyone clapped and Beca smirked at her friend.

“Stacie Conrad for President,” she teased and Aubrey winked at her girlfriend.

“Definitely very diplomatic of you,” added Aubrey. The four of them rolled their eyes when Amy raised her hand and stepped up to the microphone.

“Um, hello, my name is Amy. Thank you for taking my question,” she said formally as the audience laughed.

“My question is for all of you. If you had to choose one member as your favorite, who would that member be and why would it be Fat Amy?” They all shook their heads in amusement and Chloe giggled.

“I honestly can't choose just one member as my favorite. I love all the Bellas for different reasons,” said Chloe and Amy began to boo.

“All lies,” called Amy and Chloe laughed.

“I’ll answer honestly, mine is Chloe,” said Beca and Stacie’s jaw dropped.

“You traitor,” exclaimed Stacie and Beca put her hands up in surrender.

“Favorite member, not best friend, and there is a difference. Chloe is amazing at organizing rehearsals, she is the one we all go to for advice, and she has an amazing voice, plus is a great dancer. She is the total package,” said Beca.

“I am going with the safe answer and saying they are all my favorites,” said Stacie.

“Ditto,” said Aubrey.

“Cowards,” said Beca as they laughed. Cynthia Rose whispered into the ear of the next person at the microphone and the girl laughed.

“Oh, that’s a good one. Okay, my question is for all of you…”

“Um, I think she should be disqualified because this obviously comes from CR and she is a troublemaker. Moving on, next question,” said Beca and everyone laughed.

“It is a good question,” called Cynthia Rose.

“We want to know what was a crazy moment you had as a Bella and if you ever considered quitting,” asked the girl.

“Pretty much my entire senior year was crazy with the Bellas and yes, at least once a week, and Chloe would have to talk me down,” said Aubrey. Chloe nodded in agreement.

“That was overall the craziest year for sure but I think the craziest moment for me was Muffgate, just the shock of the actual moment and then the hysteria that followed. It became such a big deal to the world outside of acapella and that was hard to deal with sometimes because it is like dealing with siblings, right? It is one thing to talk bad about your own family or siblings but another when strangers do it. You can do it. They can't. I think we all knew things had gone too far but seeing these talk show hosts and the media vilify us made me really mad. I never wanted to quit, but I was ready to fight a few times for sure,” said Chloe.

“Muffgate definitely ranks pretty high for me too. We had some pretty crazy nights and parties in the house though,” said Beca and Stacie nodded in agreement.

“Yea I was about to ask are we only covering things they would know about or…” Stacie trailed off with a mischievous grin.

“Take it away, Stace. Give us a moment,” said Beca.

“We’ve had some pretty crazy games of Truth or Dare. The Bellas take their Truth or Dare very seriously. Things get real. Hood Nights were pretty crazy times too. I don’t think I can narrow it down to one because part of being with this group of amazing ladies is that we are also really good friends so we would hang even when we didn’t have to as Bellas. If we are including everything from the past four years, I would just say imagine having your best friends in college with you, having your own house together, and feeling like you are on top of the world. Craziness will ensue for sure,” said Stacie with a wink. A group of people in the back cheered as a young man stepped up to the microphone to ask his question.

“Okay, um, speaking of truth or dare, I was dared to ask this, so here it goes. The chemistry between Beca and Chloe during performances over the years has caused a lot of rumors to swirl about the two of you. Is there any truth to the rumors that you are together romantically and also, were there ever any romances or hook-ups in the group,” he asked as the audience cheered the question. Amy and Cynthia Rose jumped up to applaud the question as well while Beca and Chloe blushed. Stacie pushed her microphone away before leaning in to whisper into Aubrey’s ear.

“You don’t have to tell them anything,” assured Stacie.

“I know,” whispered Aubrey.

“I will let you answer then. Say whatever you want and I will go along with it,” whispered Stacie. Aubrey nodded and waited for the crowd to settle down as Chloe and Beca glanced at each other. Beca shrugged at Chloe and the crowd laughed as Chloe picked up her microphone and cleared her throat.

“First off, I love how truth or dares always get us in trouble. I swear Beca and I were always brought up during these games,” said Chloe.

“Bhloe forever,” called Amy and everyone laughed as Beca and Chloe shook their heads.

“What do you think, Becs? How would you respond to that,” asked Chloe and everyone laughed as Stacie grinned cheekily at her best friend. Beca cleared her throat and sat back in her chair with a coy smile.

“I mean all I will say is Chloe is a beautiful woman and I thoroughly enjoy our time together,” said Beca.

“Same,” giggled Chloe as the crowd cheered. Beca and Chloe looked over at Stacie and Aubrey with sly smiles.

“I am pretty sure there was a second part to that question,” said Beca and Stacie playfully glared at her. Aubrey grabbed her microphone and Stacie was surprised when Aubrey reached out for her hand. The crowd cheered when Stacie took it and laced their fingers together. Aubrey winked at her before speaking into the microphone.

“Let’s just say there is no policy against members dating one another for a reason,” said Aubrey and Stacie nodded with a grin as Beca and Chloe laughed. The crowd applauded the response and Aubrey left it at that. They answered a few more questions before heading backstage with the rest of the Bellas to get ready for their performance and they were all surprised by how nervous they were. Beca looked around the huddle and smiled at each of her friends.

“I am so lucky to have you awesome nerds in my life. Let’s go out there and have some fun,” said Beca and Chloe placed her hand in the middle.

“Hands in,” said Chloe and they did their usual tradition and cheer before heading to the stage. The crowd immediately jumped to their feet when the Bellas opened with their performance at Worlds. While Aubrey made it a point to study the choreography even though she only originally performed with the older generation of Bellas and knew most of the steps, she was still relieved to be by Stacie through the performance to keep her on pace. Once they finished the song, they started in on “I Don’t Like It, I Love It.”  The audience especially enjoyed it when Chloe sang her part to Beca.

“I don't like it. I love it, love it, love it, so good it hurts. I don't want it. I gotta, gotta have it, uh oh,” sang Chloe as she danced with Beca. Stacie winked at Aubrey when the blonde began rapping and dancing in front of her, which Stacie was more than happy to take notice of. The audience did as well and everyone began dancing. Jessica and Ashley didn’t disappoint either and made it a point to dance quite seductively together as the audience cheered them on. The place erupted in cheers as the Bellas finished the song. The Bellas looked around at each other and Chloe smiled with tears in her eyes at all of them as she started the last song of the performance.

“I got my ticket for the long way ‘round,” sang Chloe and Beca slipped her hand into Chloe’s as she joined in.

“Two bottles of whiskey for the way,” she sang. The rest of the Bellas joined in and the audience watched in reverence, sensing how bittersweet the moment was for the group. It was their swan song.

“When I’m gone, when I’m gone, when I’m gone. You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone. You’re gonna miss me by my hair. You’re gonna miss me everywhere, oh. You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone,” they sang together and gave one last bow to the audience before hugging one another.

 

After the performance, the Bellas stayed around a bit for more pictures and autographs before heading to their suites to get ready for the final event of the day. The ball was a massive party with food, drinks, mingling, and a lot of dancing. The Bellas were the stars of the evening and did their part by engaging with as many people in attendance as possible. They still managed to slip away for some dancing from time to time and Aubrey laughed as Stacie gave her a twirl on the dance floor. Aubrey felt someone tap her shoulder and turned to see Monica behind her. She had to hold Stacie back as the tall brunette glared at the woman, but Monica held her hands up in surrender.

“I am not here to cause problems. I just wanted to say I am sorry about last night. I shouldn’t have kissed you, Aubrey. It was unprofessional and I took advantage. You were just so kind to me and I got caught up in my own wishful thinking. It wasn’t okay though. Deep down I knew you two were together and I feel horrible. I have never done anything like that before. I am so sorry,” said Monica and Stacie sighed when Aubrey gave her a look. They could tell the young woman felt embarrassed.

“It is okay. I mean I get it. Bree is amazing and if I had only one chance at meeting her, I would take my shot too. Just don’t let it happen again or your next meet and greet will be with the Hunter,” warned Stacie and Monica quickly nodded.

“Got it,” said Monica. Aubrey kissed Stacie’s cheek and pulled her into her arms as Monica disappeared back into the crowd.

“You are really sexy when you are acting all protective of me,” teased Aubrey before tenderly kissing her. Beca and Chloe rushed over and looked around.

“Amy said the Hunter was about to kill Monica. Is everything okay? How did you get rid of the body so quickly,” asked Beca and Stacie laughed.

“It is cool. I am not going to kill her. We will be living in L.A. soon. I don’t want to commit any crimes here just yet.”

“Yet,” asked Aubrey and Stacie shrugged.

“I make no promises, babe,” said Stacie with a wink.

“It is good to see you two back to normal,” said Chloe and Aubrey smiled at her.

“And you two finally together,” said Aubrey.

“Yea, I think I will keep her. At least until we are out in L.A. for good. Then I might trade her in for a younger model,” said Chloe.

“Hey,” exclaimed Beca and Chloe giggled. Aubrey and Stacie gasped.

“Wait, you are moving with us? Really,” asked Aubrey and Chloe happily nodded. They hugged her and Beca smiled proudly.

“About time, Mitchell,” said Stacie and Beca rolled her eyes but nodded, knowing her future finally felt like it was on the right track.

 


	5. Bellas for Life

The final day of the convention was the shortest and only involved a farewell breakfast. The Bellas walked around to different tables, thanking everyone for inviting them and attending the amazing weekend. They were also happy to see so many people making friends and groups coming together to say goodbye to one another. Once the breakfast was over, the Bellas packed and headed downstairs to check out. They’d already said their goodbyes to John, Gail, and the Harmonicas, leaving the last goodbyes for one another.

“When does everyone head out,” asked Beca. Jessica and Ashley shrugged.

“Actually, we aren't leaving until Wednesday. We wanted to spend a few extra days in the city before heading back to New York,” said Ashley.

“I am on their flight,” said Flo.

“I’m supposed to head back tonight,” said Cynthia Rose.

“Yea, our flights are tonight too,” said Chloe. Stacie looked around at the group.

“I could always get us new tickets. The house is already available for me and Bree whenever we want it. We could stay a few extra days,” suggested Stacie as Aubrey nodded in agreement.

“There is a lot of space if all of you want to stay with us,” added Aubrey. Beca smiled at them.

“I can take off work a few days. I already wrapped up my last project in Atlanta,” agreed Beca.

“I can have Ray cover my sessions for me,” said Chloe. Amy pumped her fist.

“I don’t have any plans for a while. Visiting the family in Australia was getting a bit boring.”

“I am still on summer vacation,” said Emily.

“I am not needed back in Roswell this week,” whispered Lilly and Emily’s eyes widened at the admission, but the others didn’t question it.

“So I guess that means we can check out L.A. for a bit. Don’t worry, Cynthia Rose. We will all visit for opening night of your show,” assured Beca and Cynthia Rose looked over her calendar on her phone.

“Actually, you know what, let’s do it. Rehearsals don’t start until Thursday. I can catch a later flight out,” said Cynthia Rose.

“You sure,” asked Ashley and Cynthia Rose happily nodded.

“Sometimes you have to make time for your girls,” said Cynthia Rose as she gave her and Jessica a hug. Amy rubbed her hands together.

“Hell yea, Bellas in L.A., let’s do this,” exclaimed Amy and they all laughed as they followed her out of the hotel. They would all have to get back to their lives soon enough, but welcomed a chance to spend more time with their family.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End! I hope you enjoyed my take on what could have happened after Pitch Perfect 2 if Staubrey and Bechloe were canon. What did you think?


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